Here We Come A Wassailing
by MissSugarQuill
Summary: Christmas at Seventh Heaven takes quite a turn with materia orbs dangling off the tree and saucepans whizzing through the air. Just HOW will dear Cloud cope? [ CloTi ♪ ]
1. Merrily On High

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns mostly all. xD I don't own the titles/songs; "Here We Come A-Wassailing", "Ding Dong! Merrily On High", "Away In A Manger." (x Don't sue, pretty please.

**Here We Come A-Wassailing**

**Chapter One ll Merrily On High**

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A swift turn on his motorbike revealed another long street, lightly covered in a dusting of snow and the houses perched on either side already adorned with twinkling rainbow lights. Cloud smiled to himself as he drove past in the ebony twilight, the chilly night breeze ruffling his hair.

The blonde mercenary came to a stop outside a regular-looking building and climbed off Fenrir, amused when he saw a string of icicle lights put up clumsily from one end to the other, drooping down low in the middle. _Looks like they're gonna need some help on that_, he thought amusedly.

Heart beating quickly at the thought of coming home, Cloud quickly crossed through the empty bar to the house at the back, welcomed by the sound of singing and a piano playing. Curious, he stuck his head into the doorway of the living room, staring blankly at the mess of cardboard boxes and bags that were spilling out ornaments all over the carpet.

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head..."

A vague grin unfurled across his face when his blue eyes fell upon the colourful group in the far back corner; Marlene and Denzel were both singing as Tifa played the piano gracefully, chuckling before she joined in with them.

"The stars in the bright sky, look down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay."

_Tifa can sing?_ Cloud was momentarily mesmerised by her sweet, vulnerable voice, standing out beautifully against the kid's high-pitched crooning. Before he could listen some more, however, Marlene looked around and saw him.

"Cloud!" she squealed, eyes and face lighting up. She and Denzel yelled in delight as they bounced over to him and threw their arms around his middle, "You're home!"

"Hey, Marlene, Denzel," Cloud said a little sheepishly, patting their heads. He adored the two kids but had never become entirely used to their perpetual delight of his company. His eyes quickly sought out Tifa who was watching the little scene with a smile on her face. Their eyes met and her smile widened sweetly for him. He found himself feeling bashful all of a sudden.

"Cloud, did you hear us?" Marlene asked excitedly, tugging his hand so that he would look at her.

"Yeah, did you hear our singing?" Denzel piped up.

"Oh - yeah. You guys are great," Cloud bent down to their level with a warm expression, "Keep it up, alright? We have to remember our little saviour."

"Yeah, our Lord Jesus!" Marlene exclaimed gleefully, "He came down to - "

" - save us," filled in Denzel, looking up at Cloud eagerly, "Isn't that right, Cloud?"

It had been a long time since those snowy mornings spent in the little Nibelheim chapel, listening to the magical story of Christmas, the three wise men and the little baby saviour, but Cloud was still mindful of the essentials. Proud and a little awed, Cloud nodded affirmatively at their gleeful grins.

"Alright, you two, time for bed," Tifa called genially as she shut the piano. Obediently, the little figures trotted over to her and Marlene placed her hands on Tifa's waist.

"Tifa, can Cloud read us a story tonight?" she asked innocently.

"I don't know," Tifa replied amusedly, a twinkle in her eye as she glanced over at the man in question, "Can he?"

Cloud looked at her questioningly and then at the expectant looks on the children's faces. A wan smile broke across his face, "Alright, alright. I'm coming." Tifa grinned at him as a rejoiceful Marlene clung onto her hand and skipped up the stairs, Cloud following them with Denzel hanging off his back.

"How many books does it take to do it?" he murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

"Oh... just one," Tifa said innocently.

Finally, after _three_ bedtime stories the two children were sound asleep, both curled up on either side of Tifa on Denzel's bed. Cloud grinned at the sight of her, half-asleep herself with her eyelids drooping.

"Just one story, huh?" he whispered defiantly as he scooped up a sleeping Marlene and placed her on her own bed. He heard Tifa chuckle softly and turned back to see her snuggling her head comfortably on Denzel's pillow. He grinned to himself and bent down to her side.

"C'mon, Teef, you're tired. You should get some sleep," Cloud whispered, watching her breathe deeply.

"Your stories work," she murmured drowsily, "They really put me to sleep..."

Cloud pretended to be outraged, "Okay, that's it. You're going to your room." He promptly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and picked her up, much to her chagrin.

"Heeey, Cloud!" she protested through muffled giggles, now wide awake, "Put me down!"

Cloud grinned and was about to persist when Denzel stirred at the ruckus. Both adults immediately fell silent and glanced anxiously at him, but when the young boy continued to sleep peacefully they relaxed. Tifa turned back to Cloud and smiled warmly at him, tightening her arms around his neck and pulling him in a hug. Warmth rose up within him as Cloud embraced her back, allowing her scent to overwhelm him.

"I'm glad you're home," she murmured in her soft, caring voice, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine, "Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied feebly, still holding onto her. He closed his eyes in contentment, secretly hoping she would never let go, "It was cold." He felt her shoulders wriggle in a little laugh. "What were you all up to today?"

Tifa gently pulled away from him and he helped her up from Denzel's bed. "Christmas shopping," she said with a significant look at him.

He looked a little baffled, "Tifa, there's still at least a fortnight till Christmas."

"I know, I know, it's just the kids really wanted to go and everywhere we looked there were _more_ things to buy," Tifa shook her head slightly with an amused look, "But it was wonderful. I think we bought out the mall. Marlene and Denzel wanted everything right away, to boot. No patience in those two."

"And the Christmas lights outside," Cloud said amusedly as they walked into the warmly lit kitchen, "Did they want them up as well?"

An embarrassed expression caught Tifa's face, "Oooh... actually, that was me. It just looks so pretty at night," she said in her defence, setting his dinner in front of him. She went back to the counter to make some hot chocolate.

Cloud chuckled appreciatively, "I think some nails are need up there to hang them up straight," he paused, twiddling his spoon hesitantly, "...if you like I can hammer them in tomorrow."

Her eyes sparkled as she sat opposite him, hands cupping her mug, "You don't have work?"

"Nope," he said with relish, having a bite of his dinner. A look of pure joy radiated on her beautiful face and she exclaimed happily, "That's great! We could really use your help to decorate the bar and the house. It's going to be a beautiful Christmas!"

She beamed at him and Cloud smiled feebly back, feeling a little light-headed at her radiance. "I'm - I'm looking forward to it," he managed genuinely.

To cover up his uneasiness, he put his head down and stuffed his mouth with rice. Decorating the house, huh? Cloud glanced around the cosy room fondly, reflecting what a roomy and comfortable house he had with Tifa and the kids. Over the past few years since its construction, it had been furnished and papered and painted with the dreams and personalities of its occupants. Marlene's crayon drawings were stuck on the fridge and Denzel's lego creations were placed proudly around the living room.

It was... a real home, with its own little character.

Smiling contentedly to himself, Cloud looked across at Tifa to see her staring out of the window with a glazed look, her hands cupped around her mug of hot chocolate. His heart gave its usual little jump when he was reminded of her pure, flawless beauty; her little porcelain face and ebony strands of hair.

"Tifa?" he said, concerned, "C'mon, you should go to bed. You don't have to wait up for me."

She started and looked up at him with bright eyes, "Come look at the snowflakes!" she said wistfully, giving no sign of hearing him. She glanced back out the window again and smiled, "It's been a long time since I've seen snow fall at Christmas. It's so pretty." Her eyes rove back to him pensively, "Makes you think the Planet's finally forgiven us, doesn't it?"

Smiling at her ability to find joy in the little things, Cloud obligingly looked out of the window, himself agreeably surprised when his blue eyes trailed a perfect snowflake drifting down the glass.

"It _is_ nice..."

An unconscious smile spread across Tifa's face as she stole a glance at his boyishly curious look. She loved seeing him interested in the natural things of the world. Her cheeks flushed faintly, she stifled an incoming yawn and exhaustion enveloped her mind. _Mmm... sleep._

"Tifa, if you don't go upstairs right now I'm going to have to make you," Cloud said firmly, coming out of his reverie and getting up to put his dish in the sink. She hid a smile.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," she reluctantly got to her feet, hiding another yawn, "And have my dreams full of vivid, fat turkeys - "

"A turkey?" Cloud deadpanned.

"Yup. For our Christmas dinner," she returned plaintively.

"...Dinner?"

Tifa looked up at him with a little frown, "Yeah, a dinner. A _big_ family dinner on Christmas night. Of course, Barret's going to join us too, to be with Marlene." Her rapturous smile faded a little when she saw his dumbfounded expression, "...Cloud, are you alright?"

"Oh... um..." Cloud struggled to regain his composure. The truth was, he'd never been to a Christmas dinner before. Not that he could remember. The very thought of being part of such a festive celebration was quite overwhelming.

"It sounds... wonderful, Tifa," he finally breathed out sincerely, looking deep into her beautiful brown eyes. She looked up at him with a shy and confused look in her eyes.

"It sure will be," she said quietly with a small smile. Then it broadened and she clasped her hands excitedly, "Ooh, Cloud, it's going to be so exciting! The best of western and Asian cuisine, of course. Seafood, noodles, pudding, pies..."

Cloud knew Tifa loved cooking and that this Christmas feast was going to be an absolute treat for her. They hadn't been able to have a real Christmas celebration in the past two years; restoration of the world and to their lives had proven to be quite time- and energy-consuming. He smiled affectionately as she rattled off her list with her infectious smile, eyes as bright as stars.

_A real Christmas dinner_, he thought almost in reverence, fond eyes upon the vibrant young woman in front of him, _A real family_ _Christmas dinner with Tifa and the kids._ A wry, little smile caught his lips.

Christmas _was_ going to be beautiful this year.

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A/N: Bwahaha hello everyone! Christmas is just around the corner and I felt like I _had_ to write a lil Cloti. x) Just a note; I _am _a Christian and I'll prolly be tossing in a few Christiany things in. Just a warning! Aww, Cloud and Tifa are so adorable. Props to them for being so perfect and cute together. xD Feedback shall be shone upon with fairy lights! - msq.


	2. Oh Christmas Tree

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns mostly all. xD "Oh Christmas Tree" does not belong to meeee!

**Here We Come A-Wassailing**

**Chapter Two ll Oh Christmas Tree**

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There was nothing nicer than cruising down the chilly streets, still full of merry children playing in the snow, and knowing that a warm home was awaiting him not too faraway. A surge of happiness rushed to his chest as Cloud remembered the snowball fight he and Tifa had against Marlene and Denzel. It was the same day he'd been steadying Tifa on a ladder as she amateurly hammered in nails for the Christmas lights, and his face was suddenly met with a ball of flying snow. Shocked and clumsy, he tripped over backwards and sent Tifa screaming and sprawling on top of him, both of them landing unceremoniously into the snow to the giggles of Marlene and Denzel.

That, of course, had sparked a full fledged snow war.

He smiled subconsciously as he thought back to that moment, when Tifa had fallen abruptly on him. He remembered her eyes, dancing merrily as she looked at him, her lips curved into a smile. She had been so close...

Cloud suddenly shook his head, the heat creeping to his cheeks. He'd been dwelling on that particular moment a little _too _much for the last couple of days now, during all the decorating and the singing and the heart-warming moments in front of the fireplace, with an absolutely exhausted Denzel and Marlene snuggled up on either side of him, recounting their adventures in the snow.

_It's good to come home,_ he thought with a wonderful sense of tranquil comfort, pushing open the bar door with a little smile of anticipation. He'd had work today, much to his disgruntlement, but he _was_ grateful for a little stop at the jewellery store that had boggled his mind with glittering diamonds and sparkling gold chains since.

He took a step in and was met with a yodel.

"HEY, SPIKY-HEAD!"

Cloud almost jumped into the air in shock.

"..._Yuffie_?" Gaping at the grinning ninja, his astonished eyes darted to the other unexpected person, "...Shera? What...?"

"What, aren't you happy to see us?" Yuffie asked indignantly, busy decorating the Christmas tree in front of her.

Cloud blinked, feeling rather wrong-footed. His initial hope of returning to a quiet little home with Tifa greeting him with her usual hug promptly vanished.

Meanwhile, Shera waved warmly at him and Marlene poked her head around the garlanded Christmas tree to beam at him, "Cloud! Isn't our tree _beautiful_?"

"Um... yeah," Cloud spluttered dimly, still staring from one to the other, "Um... what are you all... Yuffie, are those _materia orbs_ you're putting up?" he asked with sudden incredulity, staring at the glowing orbs.

"Yep," Yuffie replied airily, "What? We ran out of baubles."

He just gawked at the luminous tree of which Marlene was noisily approving of, "...Oh. Okay," he finally spluttered.

Shera caught his dumbfounded look and said helpfully, "Cloud, Denzel's upstairs, if you're wondering."

"Oh... yeah, thanks," Cloud mumbled, scratching the back of his head. _What is going on here?_ Shaking his head, he quickly toed his way across the busy living room in the hopes of finding some answers, and accidentally trod on a soft toy.

Which he _thought_ it was.

Until it spoke.

"Um... would you mind getting off me?"

"AHHH!" Cloud yelped in alarm, this time really leaping into the air as the _thing_ underneath him moved by itself, "_Cait Sith?_ What the - are you _all_ here?" he exclaimed indignantly.

"Oh, hi Cloud," the little toy cat greeted robustly, "Good to see you. Everyone else is upstairs. I'm heading up there myself, actually."

Cloud stayed rooted to the spot for a little while as the girls decorated the tree happily and Cait Sith wandered off. Sooner or later he'd need some answers, but right at this moment he had to let the situation sink in. Bit by bit... _they were all here?_

"Thanks, Cait," he finally replied to the retreating cat, wheeling back around so that he was facing the girls again. ..._Where's Tifa? She'll know what's going on. I gotta find her._ Just as this thought occurred, there was a crash upstairs that shook the house. Cloud immediately looked up to the ceiling fearfully, "What are they doing up there?"

"Oh, they're playing Go Fish," Shera explained unfazedly, handing Marlene some more ornaments.

Wondering when that card game started inducing what sounded suspiciously like 'stacks-on', Cloud nodded incomprehensibly and asked, "Do either of you know where Tifa is?"

"She went out," Yuffie answered pertly.

"Shopping?"

"No, Tifa would say if she was shopping," Marlene piped up seriously, standing on tip-toe to hang a little angel, "But she just said she was going for a walk."

_For a walk?_ Cloud's head buzzed. It wasn't like Tifa to just up and go off on her own accord, and he felt a tiny bit afraid. _I wonder if she..._ He glanced around the messy living room, listening to the muffled animated voices from upstairs.

Coming to a decision, Cloud picked up his keys and turned to the girls, "Hey, Yuffie?" he hesitated, thought better of the decision and promptly turned to the more sensible choice, "Shera, could you look after the children for a little while?"

"Of course," Shera smiled warmly at him, and he managed a feeble one back, just as there was another ruckus upstairs. Cloud could distinctly hear the whooping of Cid and hastened to the door.

"Hey Cloud, when you find Tifa, tell her we're missing a big star for the top of the tree!" Yuffie hailed after him.

"Yeah... right."

Anxious mothers were ushering their shivering but elated children indoors as the sky darkened quickly. Cloud circled the vicinity for awhile until he finally rode on, the cold wind whipping at his skin. The tiny bud of worry in his stomach had branched out now and he was beginning to feel panicked. After ten minutes or so, Cloud drew to a stop where Sector 5 used to be and let out a breath when he looked at the familiar building.

Cloud carefully pushed open the double doors and took a step inside the long-aisled church, the sweet scent of flowers wafting to his nose. The blonde peered in closer and, to his immense relief, saw the figure of Tifa sitting by the edge of the shining pool. _So she was here... _Curious mingling his relief, Cloud walked a little slower towards her, glancing sideways at one of the broken pews that had a Christmas wreath lying on it.

"Tifa?" he called tentatively.

Tifa immediately sprung to her feet, spinning around on the spot.

"Cloud! You scared me," she said in relief, a little blush stained on her cheeks. _She looks so sweet like that,_ he thought bemusedly. "What are you doing here?"

He suddenly felt foolish, "...Do you know Yuffie's in our house hanging materia orbs up on the tree?"

She looked a little baffled but said musingly, "Really? Must've run out of baubles."

"Yeah, that's what she - what, no!" Cloud shook his head vigorously, much to her amusement, "What is Yuffie doing in our house at all? And all the others? I thought only Barret was coming."

Tifa let out a tinkling laugh, "Me too. But they all turned up on the doorstep this morning, so it's just a slight change of plan." A puzzled expression caught her face, "How did you know I was here?"

"...I had a hunch," Cloud said sheepishly, walking to her side, "I couldn't find you anywhere else. What are you doing here?"

"I think seeing all of them again," Tifa said reflectively, "It struck me how - how much a part of AVALANCHE she was, and continues to still be. I visited her mother," she added softly with a quick glance at him, "I asked her over for Christmas. She was very touched, but she said she already had company."

Cloud nodded wordlessly, gazing at the shining water.

Tifa exhaled a small sigh, also looking at the pool, "...I really miss her."

He glanced at her again before nodding slightly; Cloud was far from forgetting about the flower maiden and the uplifting hope she had transpired, but he wasn't used to others lamenting about her and, to be honest, he could not think of any words of sympathy. Fortunately, Tifa wasn't expecting a reply as she leaned in wistfully, studying the water's surface.

"But you know what's funny?" she continued, sounding quizzical, "I swear I heard her speaking to me before you came in..."

Cloud felt a small smile toy around his lips at this piece of information. "Yeah, they do that." His reminiscent look transformed to one of amusement as Tifa continued leaning in even closer, "Umm - Tifa - _hey_!"

With a gasp Tifa abruptly crashed into Cloud, who had grabbed her hand to haul her away before she toppled in the water headfirst. She looked up at him instinctively, startled, and their eyes locked in an intense moment. Cloud's mind went into overdrive as the memory of her falling on top of him pushed itself forcefully to the foremost of his thoughts, feeling her small hand in his own. _Not that now_, he cringed, still staring into her burgundy-coloured eyes as though under a spell. Indeed her closeness and her scent were doing things to his mind... She was so close to him... he had her in his arms, it would be all too easy to just bend down and kiss her -

This sudden deliberation promptly jerked him back to his senses; snapping out of his daze, Cloud tore his eyes away reluctantly.

"I miss her too, Teef," he murmured, betraying no sign of his embarrassment, "We all do."

Feeling a little surprised that was accompanied with a slight twinge of disappointment, Tifa also nodded. With Cloud's hand still wrapped around her own, she bent down to lay a single white lily on the pool, following it with her eyes as it rippled away.

"Merry Christmas, Aerith," she whispered with a little smile, feeling the presence of the Cetra soul lingering around her like a soothing spirit. Cloud glanced around the church gratefully, saying his own little prayer for their guardian angel.

They closed the wooden doors after them and Tifa hung up the Christmas wreath, saying defensively, "Well, it _is_ the season!" to Cloud's perplexity.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said as he steadied Fenrir, "Yuffie says they're still missing a big star for the tree."

Tifa's eyes widened, "That's right! Let's go to the mall and get it."

"Now?"

"Of course!" Tifa ushered him onto the bike, climbing onto the back after him, "Can you believe Marlene's never seen a complete Christmas tree before? And it's been a long time for Denzel, too."

The new shopping mall was basked in bright, glorious light and had been built from a very modern design; Cloud walked in and looked around, awestruck, while Tifa stepped in blithely. She looked back at him and smiled exultantly.

"I almost forgot; it's your first time here, isn't it? Isn't it great?"

"It's... really modernised," Cloud blinked, trying to get used to the dazzling shop fronts, "There's so _much_ - everywhere." To be entirely honest, this was not his first time in the new mall. He had popped in earlier that day and almost got lost.

She giggled, "It almost never ends! Come on, I bet you it's going to take us awhile to find the perfect star. It's gotta be gold, remember!"

"Gold?" he repeated sceptically, following her, "Why not silver?"

And so Cloud's real first shopping experience was not a breezy one; he and Tifa ducked into various stores to explore the Christmas decorations only to come back out, disappointed. They jauntily bickered over what type of star to buy; which colour, what size, what design, should it have sequins, should the imprint of an angel be on it, will it suit the tree? An hour slipped by sneakily as the pair browsed through a variety of shops. Cloud had never known it was so hard to purchase something. Usually he just plucked down his gil and picked up whatever materia or weapon he had chose. But over all that, he was enjoying himself. He was having fun with Tifa, just exploring the enormous shopping mall and simply _being_ in her company.

"Alright, let's split," Tifa said wearily as they faced a whole new level of tantalising shops, "If you see a good star, just buy it. We'll meet at the end, alright?"

"What if we both buy one?" he asked dubiously.

She shrugged, "We'll put the other star up next Christmas. I'll take the left side."

Cloud obediently took charge of the right and braced himself for the procedure. He darted into the store, browsing through the aisles with blurred eyes as to not become absorbed in anything else. At last, he found his prize in the fourth store. Feeling a deep sense of pride and accomplishment, Cloud took the large, sparkly golden star from the shelf and paid for it with flourish. It even had a picture of an angel engraved in it.

He was wearing a triumphant look as he left the store and spotted Tifa up ahead, having already finished her search. Cloud walked over to her with something of a swagger.

Yes. He was rather proud of himself.

"Got it," he said smugly, holding up the bag. Tifa's face broke into a beam as she took it from him, "See? It wasn't too difficult."

Cloud was about to reply when he realised which store Tifa had just been gazing at. Glittering, glistening and sparkling in the window display were several necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings, all perched jauntily on a posh silk cushion. It was the same jewellery shop Cloud had visited right after his delivery; he had stumbled across it and his immediate thoughts had flown to Tifa, and the flushed, delighted look on her face if he bought her a new pair of diamond earrings...

It was about then that Cloud made up his mind to get her a Christmas present from the jewellery store, but nothing in the window display seemed right, and he couldn't bring himself to walk inside. Besides, the multiple-digit prices standing meekly beside the goodies were rather sinister.

_But this is Tifa... she deserves the whole world._ He sighed ruefully on the inside, still thinking of her rapturous smile and the lovely sparkle in her eyes.

"Hello, anyone home?"

He blinked; Tifa was waving her hand in front of his face and a wave of embarrassment engulfed him.

"Um - I agree?"

Tifa raised her eyebrows and a smile hovered over her lips, "I was saying we should head back. It's already past dinner time... I hope they've fed the kids."

"I'm sure they have; it's not the first time Barret's taken care of them," Cloud consoled as they began to walk.

"Yeah, you're right... but still, there was only enough dinner left in the fridge for the four of us," Tifa looked dubious, "I hope no one's gone hungry."

"Win tickets to the Gold Saucer!" Cloud blinked in surprise as a man jumped out at them, waving two tickets whimsically in the air, "You look like an adventurous chap, are you up for two free tickets to the fabulous Gold Saucer?"

"I've already got a lifetime pass," he responded a bit bluntly.

Cloud glanced at the arcade they had stopped in front of; apparently it was a branch of the Gold Saucer, with all the Wonder Square games and the GP system. Even now several teenagers were still playing inside.

"Free rides on the Gondola and Shooter Coaster, then," the young man persisted further, "Come on, you can take your girlfriend there."

Tifa blushed furiously and Cloud opened and closed his mouth uselessly.

"All you have to do is get over ninety points on this snowboarding game," the brown-haired man took advantage of their silence to drag them inside the noisy arcade, "And you'll win the free rides. It's an ace offer, you should really go for it!"

Cloud hesitated, already envisioning the looks of glee on Marlene and Denzel's faces as they beheld the spectacular fireworks. They hadn't been to the Gold Saucer before. He glanced over at the still flushed Tifa.

Her eyes twinkled with mirth, "Cloud, you almost killed all of us when you went down the slope from the Icicle Inn."

"Hey, that was my first time."

"Exactly, don't be so discouraging, miss," the man input, his eyes flicking over Tifa, "There's always room for improvement."

Cloud stood on the board and wobbled a bit, "Alright, count me in." He felt a surge of exhilaration course through him as the game started. He teetered on the board while his "mini-me" appeared on the screen. Tifa and the young man watched interestedly.

"Cloud, look out for the - ...jump-off," Tifa broke into giggling as Cloud was thrown off his board, his character having landed face-first in the snow.

The short-lived game was a cause of hilarity for Tifa, who laughed uncontrollably throughout the entire session. Cloud grit his teeth as he missed the tenth balloon and almost crashed into the wall. He quickly avoided it by swerving expertly.

"Right, now keep going left," the man, evidently aghast at Cloud's performance, was irritably advising him. Cloud wished he wouldn't; it was getting on his nerves, and the way the stupid man snickered every time he fell over also gave him more reason to hit him.

Still gritting his teeth, Cloud crouched a little on the board so that his character leant over. A little grin flit across his face as his figure sped down a steep slope without crashing, until suddenly - "_What the heck is that_?" Yelping, he performed quite an amazing flip on the snowboard to avoid colliding with the arrow-pointing Mog, and tumbled off the board to land on the hard ground, groaning. Meanwhile, his character had collapsed on the screen.

Tifa bit back her laughter as she helped him up, "Cloud, are you alright?"

"I hate this game."

A minute later, the young man was surveying the disgruntled Cloud with a "I can't believe this" sort of expression.

"Your score was... forty-nine," he drawled, "So I guess that means you don't win the tickets. Well, better luck next time. Oh, and miss," he turned toward Tifa with a much more amiable countenance, "Feel free to stop by anytime and ask for help."

Cloud's Mako-blue eyes flicked over to him in a deadly way, but Tifa smiled benevolently, "Thank you."

They left the arcade together, Cloud clamping his mouth together in fury.

"I don't like him," he said stiffly.

Tifa frowned, "Why not?"

"He - he was laughing at me!"

"So was I; it was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

Cloud continued to sulk and Tifa, noticing his expression, laughed and touched his arm lightly, "Cheer up Cloud, I was only kidding. I'm just glad that wasn't the real thing. I think you really would have killed us."

"Well, sure, if there are random wooden Mogs in the middle of the slope," Cloud grumbled.

"But I'm still a little disappointed, I would have loved to go on the Shooter Coaster again," Tifa said woefully, exhaling a deep sigh. Cloud glanced down at her and she chuckled merrily, "Just kidding! Let's go get something to eat; I'm starving."

She looped her arm through his and Cloud started at her sudden warmth, keeping his eyes fixedly ahead. Something warm and fuzzy rose inside his chest and a tiny smile fought its away across his face.

Cloud lifted the star distastefully, his bento box sitting in his lap, "All this time wasted just for a star."

Tifa tilted her head up from her miso soup with a scandalised look, "The most important decoration of all, a waste of time? Don't let the children hear you saying that."

"What's so important about it?" a baffled Cloud wanted to know.

"It's the crowning glory of the tree!" Tifa affirmed, "Not only that, the bright star in the sky was what led the three wise men to present their gifts to Jesus. Don't tell me you've forgotten." She looked at him piercingly.

"It's coming back to me," Cloud squinted underneath her gaze, "But it's been over ten years since I heard the story." He paused and looked meaningfully at her, "Enlighten me."

With a gracious smile, Tifa recounted the story to an attentive Cloud. As the facts were unravelled, their bento boxes emptied and soon the number of people around dwindled. After she had finished they both sat in a peaceful silence, Cloud having a few moments of profound reflection.

"You don't really mind that I couldn't get the free rides, do you?" he asked quietly.

It took Tifa a few seconds to realise what he was talking about. She put both feet on the ground and craned her head at him, "Of course I don't... you're not gonna let it get to you, are you?"

Cloud didn't answer; his eyes were burned on the ground.

"_Cloud_," Tifa said impatiently, poking his shoulder.

He came out of his reverie, "Oh - no - it's just - " he took a deep breath and looked at her straight in the eye, "...I'm sorry, Tifa. There are so many things I can't do for you... even though I promised."

Tifa was puzzled, "You promised to come when I was in trouble, not to score me free rides on the Gondola."

"I - " Cloud hesitated, unsure of what he wanted to say; he didn't even know where all this was coming from. He guessed seeing that jewellery store, failing at the snowboarding game and hearing of everything Jesus had done for everyone - it brought to light how _useless_ he, Cloud, actually was.

Tifa looked at him concernedly and he looked back; by the way her brown pools glistened he knew she understood. That was one of the amazing things about Tifa Lockhart.

She took his hand and squeezed it, thinking how innocently naive Cloud could be sometimes.

"You _have_ kept your promise, and you've done countless things for all of us," Tifa said gently, "I know you still don't believe it, Cloud, but you've helped save the Planet." He didn't say anything and she smiled, nudging him slightly, "Let's go home."

Cloud glanced into her eyes and nodded; even now his past demons came back to haunt him, but Tifa was his hope and comfort. When he looked at her he saw a brand new day and a fresh start. She was what kept him going.

The ride back to Seventh Heaven was quiet with the night air rushing in their ears. A sleepy Tifa had wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist and laid her head against his back. Cloud said nothing, but a sweet tenderness had blossomed inside of him and he drove back in a moment of content and peacefulness.

"Tifa, we're home," he murmured softly, wondering if she had fallen asleep. Some of her body warmth left his back for a moment and he heard her drowsy, "Mmm..." Cloud smiled to himself.

They walked inside the quiet pub together and entered the house. It was completely still and silent; everyone had gone to bed.

Tifa took a step into the living room and stared at her empty cookie bowl, crumbs still scattered over the coffee table. Her eyes widened at once, "Don't tell me they ate _all_ of them for dinner!" she exclaimed fervently, hands on hips.

Chuckling quietly, Cloud looked around the living room, which was a bit tidier now. His eyes landed on the Christmas tree, Yuffie's materia orbs dangling off the plastic branches.

"Where's everyone sleeping?"

"Umm... Barret in the kids' room, Cid, Shera and Yuffie in the guest room, Red XIII and Cait Sith on the bean bags, Vincent on the sofa in the playroom," Tifa murmured off the list, "It's a tight squeeze; I made the kids share Marlene's bed."

"Ah, well, the more the merrier, right?" Cloud said weakly.

Tifa chuckled, "Right." She stood on tiptoe to reach the top of the tree but she wasn't tall enough. Tifa huffed and glared at it, "Do you think I can _throw_ this star up there?"

Cloud let out a laugh, "That's more of Yuffie's area. Want me to put it up?"

"Alright," Tifa sounded enthusiastic, "You can crown the tree with its glory."

He smiled wryly at her childishness as he reached up easily and placed the golden star at the top of the Christmas tree. He stood back to see the effect and was met with an odd jolt of happiness; the Christmas tree looked truly complete with its 'crowning glory'.

"That felt good, didn't it?" her sweet voice floated to his ears.

"Yeah... it looks nice."

Tifa glanced at him musingly, "Nice? It's beautiful! Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I saw my own Christmas tree." She looked up wistfully and then turned back to Cloud, who had been staring at her tentatively. Remembering the evening they'd just spent together, a faint blush rose to her cheeks. Unfortunately, her yawn chose to moment to engulf her delicate expression.

Cloud immediately narrowed his eyes and she hastened to stifle it - but to no avail.

"Bed."

Tifa sighed, "I can never hide it, can I?"

"Nope."

"Fine then, I'm going..." the brunette smiled and shyly whispered, "Good night, Cloud." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek before whipping around and up the stairs. Cloud's jaw froze as his cheek tingled intensely. He blinked, recovering his powers of movement very slowly.

_Tifa just... kissed me?_ It hadn't been the first time she'd done it, but it always made him lose feeling everywhere else in his body except for his cheek. Following his slow recovery would be an eruption of emotions that left him dazed and dreamy... exactly like a lovesick fool.

A wide, lopsided smile split Cloud's face and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Cloud switched off all the downstair lights and got ready for bed after a quick check on everybody else. He finally tucked himself underneath his thick covers, his foolish little smile never fading even as he slept.

_"Merry Christmas, Cloud, Tifa... everyone."_

_"Hehe, look at him, Aer - 'tis his season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la - ouch! Okay, I'll stop."_

_"...I love you, Zack."_

_"Hmph... yeah, whatever."_

_"Hehe..."_

----------

A/N: What a strange chapter! xD Thank you everyone for reviewing, I was so happy and excited as I always am when I start a new story. Hehehe, did you have a good time reading? _-everyone nods gleefully-_ x) Okay, okay, now SHOUT your favourite FF7 couples! CLOUD/TIFA - AERITH/ZACK - YUFFIE/VINCENT - CID/SHERA - RENO/ELENA! ...Glad to get that outta my system. (x HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! Oh, and shout your fave Christmas carol, toooo! Hmm ... I can't decide. _Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la laaaa_. - msq.


	3. Angels We Have Heard

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns mostly all. xD "Silent Night" - not mine. This chapter is named after the carol, "Angels We Have Heard On High" which is one of the most fun carols to sing - along with the rest of them! x)

**Here We Come A-Wassailing**

**Chapter Three ll Angels We Have Heard**

----------

They were all shimmering, shimmering, _shimmering_ like an incandescent conspiracy against him, the light maliciously ricocheting off the blinding golden surfaces to etch permanent yellow spots into his vision. Cloud blinked furiously but couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from the dazzling goodies that had totally engrossed his mind, body, spirit, soul...

_What the - are you listening to yourself?_

"Man, stop starin' at that window display, you're startin' to creep me out."

Cloud whipped around to see Barret raising his eyebrows at him in a decidedly suspicious way, "Ain't never seen a man gawk at this sparkly junk for five minutes straight." He moved forward to also study the window display with a very wary look.

A slight chuckle escaped Cloud's lips as he scratched his neck awkwardly, "Um, yeah, about that..."

"You're lookin' for something for Tifa, aren't ya?"

Cloud instantly rove his eyes to the older man, "Wh - what? Who said anything about Tifa, what are you talking - " he trailed off when Barret continued to give him his "I-am-mighty-and-all-knowing" look. He sighed in defeat, mentally cursing Barret's superiority at times even like these, "Well... yeah, maybe it is for her..."

A smug look dawned on Barret's face, "Bwahaha, I thought so, Spikey."

"You did?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. After all, Barret wasn't the most perceptive man in the world.

" 'Course," the gunman said easily; not too faraway were Marlene and Denzel, happily chewing on their gum to outdo each other's bubbles. He peered closer at the window display so that his forehead bumped against the glass, "Why else would you be wastin' your time here? Geezalou, what a load of trash. Five thousand gil for those teeny little gems?" His eyes almost popped out.

"Yeah," Cloud said resignedly, at last turning away from the shop, "Nothing here seems right for her." That so much was true. He had come to stare at the window twice since his and Tifa's night trip to the mall, but everything on display was too flashy and meaningless for someone as deep and pure as the brunette. Now, with only two days until Christmas, Cloud was starting to feel a bit desperate.

"Have ya tried goin' _inside_?" Barret demanded, breaking into his dull thoughts.

The blonde warrior looked flustered, "Inside? Uhh... no, it's okay."

"What, you not man enough to march inside a jewellery shop to check their stuff out?" Barret raised his eyebrow and guffawed, "Geez, Spike, you really are a moron sometimes."

"...Whatever," Cloud mumbled as they ambled back to the kids.

Barret glanced at him and felt a slight twang of sympathy. He knew the ex-SOLDIER (well, at least in his head) was a good guy but he was always too shy to do something about Tifa. "Listen, if you really care 'bout Teef that much - which I know you do - then ya might as well take a look at everything they have. She'd love anythin' you get her, anyway."

Cloud didn't reply, but Barret's words stayed in his mind to be scrutinised and mused on as they collected Marlene and Denzel and set off for home. To say that the last week had been eventful was a bit of an understatement. With last minute Christmas preparations and eleven people traipsing inside Seventh Heaven, many occurrences, episodes, accidents and calamities had taken place.

Just to get away from all the pandemonium and lessen the numbers inside the house, Tifa suggested that Barret and Cloud take the kids out for a day.

_Tifa..._ he thought listlessly as they marched out into the crisp, winter snow, _I haven't spoken to her in ages... Yeah, too much going on._

It had all started the first morning when Cloud realised how horribly cramped his kitchen was when eleven people were squeezed around the breakfast table.

"There's gonna be a few changes to the Christmas dinner," a hearty Tifa announced from her spot, "Because both Cid and Barret are watching their cholesterol levels."

_Pause._

And then -

"But I don't wanna eat a tofu turkey!" Yuffie wailed.

"Should've thought of that before you transported your skinny butt from Wutai," Cid muttered derisively, much to the consternation of Shera and indignation of Yuffie, who wasted no time in retaliating.

"Hey, it's not my fault your health is failing, old man - "

"Old? _Old_? I'll give you old, you - "

Whereupon Tifa hastened to explain that there would still be a very real, meaty turkey to be eaten, and that the only changes made would be healthier dishes that included more fresh vegetables.

However, that little rendezvous between Cid and Yuffie was the first of many battles that would shake the house with Cid's profanities. With Yuffie full of mischief and self-pride, and Cid's short fuse, the pointless fights were inevitable... and _loud_. Cloud was getting a headache from all the noise in Seventh Heaven; with so many people inside, you had to screech to make yourself heard. He had actually been glad when he received two jobs during the week.

So between all the screaming matches, the constant carolling of, "Jingle bells, Shin-Ra smells, Rufus laid an egg," that Yuffie had taught Marlene and Denzel, and the finishing touches for Christmas, Cloud had barely caught a glimpse of Tifa, much less spoken to her. She was always tied up in the kitchen with the girls, while he was left to do odd jobs with the guys.

Cloud had to admit, he _did_ enjoy spending time with his old friends, but he resented their (enormous) company a teensy-weensy bit; he had had his heart set on a nice family Christmas dinner with Tifa and the kids.

And the unhealthiest, most traditional Christmas dishes ever.

Ah, well. Such is life.

"At least the place hasn't burned down," he muttered to himself as they reached Seventh Heaven. He was always slightly afraid of what he'd find back home, what with his - _friends _- roaming around inside. Barret chuckled genially.

"You remember what I said 'bout Tifa, right?"

"Yeah..." the blonde murmured evasively.

As soon as they went inside a torrent of loud voices assaulted their ears.

"Uncle Cid and Yuffie are fighting again, aren't they?" Marlene asked, with an almost nonchalant tone in her innocent voice.

"Err, yeah, sounds like it, angel," Barret agreed half-heartedly, hanging up their coats, "You and Denzel go find Cait Sith and Red to play with... your Pa will fix things up."

"If anyone can do it, you can, Papa!" Marlene said brightly. She beamed up at Barret adoringly before scampering off with Denzel to the playroom. The two men glanced at each other before entering the hot zone. They found Yuffie and Cid by themselves in the kitchen, making enough noise to deafen an elephant. Cloud's eyes trailed to Cid's swear jar propped in the middle of the table.

_Looks like it's gonna be full by tonight._

Cid was performing a spiteful victory dance, laughing evilly at the furious Yuffie. Cloud looked at them warily; this was something out of the ordinary. Cid was usually seething with rage while the Wutain ninja taunted him.

"...what the heck happened here?" Barret asked, nonplussed.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIGHT NOW?" Yuffie screamed like a child, jumping up and down characteristically; Cloud swore the floor was vibrating, "YOU - YOU - "

"Hehehe, serves you right, you little brat!" Cid whooped with a manic gleam in his blue eyes. He let out a raucous spout of laughter as he dodged the tomatoes Yuffie was pelting at him, "Now you know what it feels like to have your possessions destroyed by a stupid baby! Not that _I'm_ a stupid baby..."

"A - a _baby_?" Yuffie spluttered, going steadily crimson, "DON'T - CALL - ME - A - BABY!" She seized an empty saucepan from the counter and hurled it at Cid in her child-like, ninja-ish way. Cloud opened his mouth in alarmed protest, but only a squeak came out. A swearing Cid ducked at the last second to reveal an unsuspecting Vincent right behind him in the doorway.

"What's happening h - " his red eyes grew huge.

_PONG!_

"...urghh..." Vincent crumpled and fell backward onto the ground, the saucepan clattering noisily beside him.

Cloud and Barret stared in horror at his unconscious form.

Yuffie's anger vanishing on the spot, she took a step forward tentatively, "...Vinnie?"

Cid was also staring, wide-eyed.

"...Dang."

At that moment there was a flurry of footsteps and a breathless Tifa and Shera appeared behind Vincent. Tifa immediately gasped and bent down to him, "Oh my goodness - what happened?" She glanced up at the group of them, all still frozen in shock, and her eyes quickly met with Cloud's.

"Yuffie did it," Cid said at once.

"It was an accident, honestly!" Yuffie cried out, rushing up to Tifa and grabbing her hands beseechingly, "I didn't mean to hurt him, Tifa, the saucepan was meant for Cid!"

Shera faced her husband sternly, "What did you do now?"

Cid's jaw dropped open, "_Me_? I almost got walloped by a friggin' saucepan!"

The merest flicker of a smirk vanished as Yuffie turned to Shera with the most sober expression in the world, "Oh, Shera, look what he did to my beloved shuriken!" Shera patted the apparently distraught Yuffie on the back while the raven-haired girl sent a fleeting wink at the outraged Cid.

"Why you little - "

"Don't start now!" a distressed Tifa exclaimed, effectively cutting Cid off. Cloud and Barret immediately rushed over to pick Vincent up. His head lolled to the side and his long hair grazed over the ground.

"Should we take him upstairs?" Barret asked.

"Yeah, take him to a bed... he's out cold."

Tifa slowly turned back to Cid and Yuffie as Cloud and Barret carried Vincent upstairs. Cid was shooting a deadly glare at Yuffie, who flashed an angelic smile back under the safety of Shera's arm.

"Okay," the mistress of the house said patiently, putting her hands to her hips. She took a step forward and then jumped up in disgust, "Ugh - _why_ are there tomatoes smeared everywhere?"

---

Vincent finally came to after twenty minutes of being knocked out; Tifa wouldn't allow him out of bed though, so he was confined in the kids' room while everyone took it in turns to come up and keep him company. He felt rather embarrassed; much worse injuries he and all of them had endured, and yet here he was, stuck in Denzel's bed, being treated like a dying hospital patient.

There was a knock on his door and he sat up straighter, expecting Tifa with more pillows just to keep him comfortable. Instead in walked a meek Yuffie, her expression guilty and apologetic as she tiptoed in.

"Hi, Vinnie..."

"Hello, Yuffie," Vincent said affably. He knew she would be up sooner or later, being the only one who hadn't visited him in the past three hours. According to Red XIII, it was because none of them thought it was a good idea.

The ebony-haired girl bowed her head as she moved closer and set a saucer of hot tea on his bedside table, "Cid asked me to take this up to you."

He raised an eyebrow bemusedly, "He's not mad at you anymore?"

Yuffie shrugged nonchalantly, her sheepishness evaporating as she perched herself on the side of his bed, "He said seeing you get hit by a saucepan put fresh heart in him. Besides, _everyone's_ told me off already, so I think I've got what I deserve without him giving me the silent treatment, don't you think?"

His mouth twitched; sometimes, Yuffie's carefree disposition intrigued him.

"...This is good," Vincent murmured, surprised at the sweet and aromatic taste of Cid's special tea, "What's in it?"

"No idea... you know Cid, such a tightwad about his 'secret ingredients'," Yuffie rolled her eyes as she pulled out a candy cane, "Want it?"

He shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. He had to admit, it didn't feel as strange or foreign as it used to. Lately, he'd been rather amused by Yuffie's antics, whether it be her loud, terrible singing or the little wisecracks that drove Cid up the wall.

"So have you been having fun?" she asked, tongue between her teeth as she tried to pull the wrapper off her treat.

A dull ache flashed across his head as Vincent put the cup of tea down; he grimaced.

"It's good seeing everyone again," he said quietly, studying her with amused eyes as she struggled with the candy cane, "...My first real Christmas in a long time, I guess - "

Her candy cane suddenly snapped in half, bits of peppermint spraying everywhere, many specks of it landing on his face. Yuffie looked up at him sheepishly. Vincent stared back with an unreadable expression. He could've been mad, she did not know, however...

"Puehehehe!" she cracked up laughing, her dark eyes dancing with mirth. Vincent blinked, faintly mystified. "Oh my gosh, Vinnie, you look so funny - " Here she paused to look at him again and redoubled into another laughter fit.

He looked at her perplexedly, intently studying the happiness on every feature of her face and her crinkled eyes. She looked so endearing and childish that he had to remind himself that Yuffie was indeed growing up - she was, after all, almost nineteen. And it showed, with the little red hat perched on her head and her shoulder-length dark hair that she had got cut stylishly with very thin ends.

His mouth twitched once more and Vincent tried hard to repress the growing laughter inside of himself. With dignity, he snatched the broken candy cane from her hand, effectively cutting off her laughter.

"H - hey!"

"I think I want this now," he said placidly.

Yuffie looked at him, then grinned cheekily, "Suit yourself, Vinnie - " he wished she'd stopped calling him that, " - but you still looked ridiculous." Muffling her last few giggles, she stood up a little to reach out and brush the candy cane bits off his face.

A tingly sensation suddenly ignited on his cheeks as her fingertips lightly grazed over them; an electrical surge that left his face feeling numb, and then flushed. Vincent's eyes immediately flicked up to her and he knew at once that she had felt it too; she had withdrawn suddenly, looking a little unsettled. She caught him looking and blinked, alarmed.

"Anyway, I'm sorry about - about knocking you out earlier."

Her voice was soft, more subdued than he'd ever heard it. And it was sincere. Apology was not something Yuffie Kisaragi did very often - if not at all - and Vincent was a little startled.

"It doesn't matter," he murmured in his low, deep voice, "After all, it wasn't intentional... or so I heard."

"Yup, meant for Cid, all the way," Yuffie's face brightened, "Why would I ever want to knock my dear Vinnie out?"

Vincent permitted himself a small smile, "You're Yuffie; I wouldn't know why."

"Pfft... well, I guess you're right," she chuckled merrily and his smile widened. She felt her heart lift pleasantly; Vincent sure didn't look bad with a smile on his face, he should do it more often...

"I think... I think this is my first real Christmas in awhile, too," she admitted timidly, sitting back on the side of his bed and taking a bit of the candy cane for herself.

"Having fun?"

Yuffie grinned broadly.

"Time of my life."

---

Barret was the last one to go upstairs; shooting Cloud a meaningful look, he turned around to lumber up the staircase. Cloud stayed in his armchair for a little bit, listening to the end of the Christmas carol warbling in the CD player.

_"Si-i-ilent night, ho-o-oly night. Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace..."_

Pure light... radiant beams... Cloud's blue eyes were glazed over in deep thought, mostly mulling over the jewellery stop that still dazzled in his mind. He _really_ need to get that Christmas present for Tifa now... she was doing so much for everyone, and what was she getting back? He hadn't realised just how much she had to cope with until Vincent got hit by a saucepan (those words kinda made him want to snigger) and he witnessed the telltale signs of her stress as she ran about the place, trying to make Vincent feel better and getting dinner ready for all of them.

And now he felt guilty. And ashamed. And unworthy. And a total selfish prat.

Cloud flicked the CD player off, replacing the CD in its case and putting it back on the shelf. He glanced around the deserted living room and his eyes fell upon the lovely Christmas tree. He had been the one to put that star up...

He quietly approached the kitchen. Everyone had cleaned up after themselves, but there were still plates left over that had held the food, and the counter still needed to be wiped. And of course, Tifa was the one to clean up the mess. He found her by herself at the sink, wiping the dishes. Cloud's heart filled with aching guilt and he noiselessly moved around her, taking the dish out of her hands as she passed it over to the rack. Tifa immediately looked up at him, startled.

"Tifa, let me do these," Cloud said softly, taking the cloth from her other hand, "And go get some sleep."

"Cloud..." her eyes glistened with (could it be?) joy and she surprised him by stepping forward and burying her face in his chest. Cloud let out a slow, deep breath as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"I missed you," she breathed out.

Those words felt like icy shards to his heart as Cloud cradled her head gently, "I - I missed you, too, Teef." He shut his eyes painfully, squeezing her a little tighter, his shame burning inside of him. It felt like years since he'd _spoken_ to her, let alone held her... and he was going to treasure this moment.

She felt so tiny and vulnerable in his arms. Cloud shifted his head down to plant a gentle kiss in her hair and finally pulled away; if he held on any longer he wasn't sure if he could let go. Tifa smiled wearily up at him and only then did Cloud see just how tired she really was.

"I'm sorry, Cloud," she murmured softly, "I know you wanted a quiet, family Christmas, but..."

Had he been that obvious? Ashamed that _she_ was apologising about something so trivial, so frivolous, Cloud tenderly lifted a strand of dark hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Hey, don't apologise, Teef. It's far from your fault. Besides, it's... fun," he finished up with a lopsided smile.

She giggled but it quickly wore away and she looked more exhausted than ever. Cloud felt crushed; was this what he had let happen to her, the girl he'd promised to protect no matter what? Heavy with remorse, he took her hand and led her to the staircase.

"You can't enjoy Christmas if you're sleeping through it, Tifa," he told her gently, "Get some rest, okay? I'll take care of everything."

The raven-haired maiden smiled warmly down at him, saying softly, "Good night, Cloud." Too bad he was glancing down at the floor, because he missed the message her brown-red eyes were conveying in all their pure beauty; _I love you._

"Night, Tifa."

He watched her ascend the stairs and waited until he heard her bedroom door being shut before creeping up himself. His timid countenance was replaced with a grimmer one as he opened the door to the children's room and went inside.

Everyone was waiting in there. On Marlene's bed were Yuffie and Denzel, their heads together, and Marlene sitting in Shera's lap with Cait Sith in her arms. Red XIII was curled on the rug where Cid was outstretched, while Vincent was sitting up in his bed. Barret had seated himself serenely in the armchair.

"Hey, kid, what's up? Why'd you call all of us up here?"

"Alright, everyone," Cloud let out a sigh, trying to shake off his feelings of guilt, "I'll make this quick. Well, we all know there's only two days till Christmas, and I was just wondering if I could... make a request that everyone behaves." They all stared at him like lumps of clay and he added hastily, "For Tifa."

"Ooooh," suddenly, everyone was nodding knowledgably and exchanging smirks, "For Tifa. Of course."

"Hey," he said defensively, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" Marlene and Denzel chorused like little cherubs, though Cloud didn't miss the big grins they flashed with the other adults.

"This is like a conspiracy," he muttered to himself, making the others chortle, "Well, anyway, you know how hard she's working for us all, so I thought it'd be nice if... if we didn't cause any more trouble for her. Especially at Christmas."

"What d'ya mean?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"It means we become peace-loving folks," Barret remarked, "A bit hard for some of us."

"Hey!"

Cloud sighed again, "Right... that means no fighting, no screaming for no reason, no bad singing - " he looked pointedly at Yuffie, " - no throwing tomatoes across the room, or saucepans for that matter. Just... _behave_. And try to help out with whatever you can. Well, come to think of it, this only really sticks with you two," Cloud looked at Cid and Yuffie again.

She quirked an eyebrow, "Behave, huh? What do I get outta this?"

Cloud frowned, "What do _you_ get? What is this, a contract?"

"Hey, I'm not getting bossed around for nothing," Yuffie said persistently, "If I have to keep my mouth shut and be all boring the next few days, I want something in return."

"What?" he could barely believe his ears and was about to flat out refuse when something pushed itself to the front of his mind; _Tifa._ This was for Tifa, after all. To make life a little easier for her, to have a nice, uneventful Christmas where the healthy vegetables weren't being tossed around the ceiling. She had been unselfish her whole life; now it was Cloud's turn.

"...Fine," Cloud relented resignedly, "What do you want?"

She grinned, "You seriously don't know?"

"...I'll pick up some more materia for you," he muttered, turning away from her gleeful expression, "What about the rest of you?"

Cid looked thoughtful, "Hmm... I could use some elbow grease for my new rocket. You can come by Rocket Town and help me next year."

Cloud stood stock still for a moment, "...Okay." _I can't believe I have to make a deal with these people just to get them to behave decently._

The pilot looked jubilant, "Thanks, kid."

Dreading the fate he was setting himself, Cloud glanced across the room. Red XIII, Cait Sith, Shera and Vincent all shook their heads, saying that they didn't want anything from him, thanking him for letting them spend Christmas at his house, and finishing up by promising to help Tifa out as much as possible. Such a shame, that the least troubling people of the house weren't getting any rewards. Cloud gave them a very grateful look. _On my list of favourite people..._

Barret was along the same lines, "Owe heaps to you for takin' care of my Marlene already, so... nope. Oh wait," he looked a bit sheepish, "Just one little thing. Since Vincent's gonna be sleepin' in my bed for the next few days, can I take over yours? Heh. I don't do well on couches or the floor... ain't good for my back."

Cloud nodded with the air of someone surrendering over the last thing they have. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at the children. Instinctively, his gaze softened and his voice was more mellow.

"Marlene, Denzel?"

He knew it was a mistake the moment they looked up at him with that terrible gleam in their bright eyes.

"We want you to kiss Tifa!"

Cloud was so taken aback he leapt backward into the door, "Wh - what?"

Everyone else had broken up into hearty laughter. "I should've said that!" Yuffie exclaimed. Cloud shook his head and hushed them all quickly, the laughter turning into stifled chuckles and snickers.

"So will you, Cloud?" Denzel asked innocently.

"I - I..." Cloud was at a loss to what to say, not least because the 'request' had come out of the mouths of two little kids. Finally, he said slowly, "Denzel, Marlene - I can't do that. It's not fair to her."

It was his truthful, tight voice that wiped the smiles off the others' faces; everyone was aware about Cloud and Tifa's feelings toward one another. Everyone, that is, except themselves. Their friendship was too sacred and beautiful to risk, and AVALANCHE knew that.

Marlene and Denzel appeared to notice the serious tone of his voice, too. Their faces fell and they glanced at each other unsurely.

Cloud coughed guiltily, "...Do you guys want to go to the Gold Saucer after Christmas?"

The children immediately perked up, springing to their feet and bouncing on the bed, "Yeah!"

Thinking about all the promises he'd made, Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat, "Alright... then that's that. Just remember to - to act like civilised people, okay? We need some peace and quiet in this house."

"You have a deal, Chocobo-head!" Yuffie ruffled the kids' heads fondly before blithely trotting out the room, "G'night, everyone! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, can't wait to get my hands on that new materia... Hehehe, thanks Cloud!"

The rest of them retired to their rooms, exchanging good nights with each other. Cloud scooped up Marlene and tucked her and Denzel in the one bed; the little girl at one end and Denzel at the other.

"Cloud, can you save all the homeless people?" Denzel asked softly as Vincent dozed off.

His brow furrowed curiously, "I'm afraid not... why?"

"Oh, we were just gonna ask you to do that instead of taking us to the Gold Saucer," Denzel replied, his voice becoming more drowsy, "Hmmm... then do you know when Jesus is gonna visit our city?"

Cloud was now feeling very confused. With a small smile he put a hand on the boy's forehead, the same forehead that had once bore an ugly Geostigma scar. He glanced over at an attentive Marlene as he spoke gently, "He's with us always, Denzel."

"But when he is gonna _come_ here, Cloud?" Marlene struggled up.

Perplexed and feeling a twinge of worry, Cloud pulled her closer to him, "Why are you asking?"

"Tifa told us how he fed _five thousand_ people with only a tiny bit of food," Marlene explained impressively, looking seriously at Cloud, "And Denzel and I've saved our pocket money - enough for five loaves of bread and two fish."

"If we could just get them to Jesus, Cloud," Denzel said wistfully, "He could feed the world."

Cloud just looked at the two children - _his_ two children, and an indescribable emotion filled his heart. With a warm, heartfelt smile, Cloud pulled them both into his strong arms, hugging them close. Marlene giggled as Cloud's spikes tickled her.

"I - I don't know when he's coming," he murmured softly, "But we can always help. You know that orphanage we visited two months ago?"

They nodded.

"We'll go again and bring them some food and clothes, okay?"

Happy smiles lit their faces, "Okay!"

Cloud smiled tenderly and tucked them in again. He left the bedroom in a peaceful, tranquil state, his spirit soothed and comforted. All the way through his counter-wiping and teeth-brushing he was mindful of everything that had transpired that day. Cloud smiled ethereally as he remembered his embrace with Tifa and the little conversation with Denzel and Marlene.

He exited the bathroom and opened the door of his bedroom, jumping when he found Barret spread on his bed, snoring loudly. Blinking in alarm, Cloud hastily backed out and shut the door. He stared at it.

_Right... that deal with them all._

But even that failed to dent his good mood. After all, at least there would be peace during Christmas.

Cloud rearranged the pillows and blankets on the sofa Vincent had been sleeping on, musing over the little twist in his Christmas break. He smiled. He suppose he was glad to have his loyal, supportive friends over to celebrate with, even if they were a little loud sometimes. He was glad to have a nice warm house and everything he needed, he was glad to be responsible for the welfare of two orphans, and he was glad he had Tifa, the most beautiful soul in the world, to love with all the tenderness of his heart, even if she didn't know.

----------

A/N: That little heartfelt story about feeding the world was something I read this morning from a book called, "What They Didn't Teach Me In Sunday School" by Rob Parsons. It was really touching for me! (: Thank you very much for the reviews, and I hope you keep reading! Oooh, and I'm sure many of you have picked up the little tidbit I got from one of the best sit-coms ever, "Everybody Loves Raymond" in how the Thanksgiving/Christmas feast is changed due to Barret/Cid/Frank's cholesterol levels. So I disclaim that! x) Happy New Year, don't ruin your necks by staring too long at the fireworks! (Like I would...) l o v e - msq.


	4. Joy To The World

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns mostly all. xD "Joy To The World" ain't mine. (x

**Here We Come A-Wassailing**

**Chapter Four ll Joy To The World**

----------

Finally, Christmas Day arrived in a smooth deportment of good behaviour and harmony. The morning was spent merrily watching Denzel and Marlene open their many presents, followed by fun in the crisp snow and lots of photo-taking, and the telling of the Christmas story. Afterward they had a small lunch/afternoon tea before everyone whisked upstairs to get dressed for their much anticipated Christmas dinner. All day there was a lovely warm glow around and within everyone that seemed so exhilarant and natural, even if Yuffie and Cid were acting much more polite and refined than was strictly necessary.

"How do I look?"

Cloud meekly stepped out into her line of vision. He had just struggled into a pair of black pants and a pale blue dress shirt. Tifa surveyed him and smiled indulgently.

"Guess that means like an idiot," he muttered, worst fears confirmed.

She giggled lightly, moving closer and fixing up his collar, "You look very smart and handsome, Cloud, is that what you want to hear?" she teased, glancing up into his eyes.

"If it's true."

"Well, it is," Tifa took her hands off his shirt, her warmth leaving him suddenly. Cloud was slightly disappointed as she took a step back and twirled around in her little black dress.

"Now, how do I look?"

Cloud stopped fidgeting with his cuffs to deliver his judgement. In his opinion, Tifa could never look ugly even if she covered her face with blue eye shadow, but he still had to blink twice as he beheld her stunning appearance.

"You - you look nice, Tifa," he said weakly, making the brunette turn to him with a shy smile. Cloud returned it feebly, suddenly aware of the little velvet box stuck in his pocket. He reached for it tentatively.

Just yesterday he'd finally made up his mind to march into the loathsome jewellery stop, managing his escape from Seventh Heaven for a little while by convincing Red XII he needed a walk. ("I do?" "Certainly. All those extra pounds you've put on...")

Two horribly frenzied hours inside the glittering palace of doom had left Cloud with a gift that he was quite proud of, despite the fact that he'd had to fight tooth and nail to get what he truly wanted, not what the salespeople thought were "daaaarling presents." However, he still hadn't plucked up the courage to give Tifa her present yet. It had been preying on his mind all day, hoping to catch just the right moment to give it to her. Maybe that time had come...

Unfortunately, she spoke again as she moved to the dresser, cutting into his thoughts.

"Do you know if Yuffie and Cid are okay? Cid's been acting eerily silent... he didn't even say anything when he got tackled by that dog this morning, although it looked as though he could have torn it apart. That can't be healthy. And Yuffie's been strange, too... she called me Ms Lockhart when we were outside."

Cloud almost choked, "She did?"

Tifa nodded, frowning a bit, "Yeah."

Cloud swallowed nervously, "Ahh... I'm sure it's nothing." _You're taking this a little too far, Yuffie - and Cid, you're allowed to speak, you know._ From what Cloud had seen, the blonde pilot was keeping all his emotions bottled up inside of him in an attempt to "behave". If he let a word escape his mouth, there was no knowing what else would come shooting out. This, to echo Tifa, was definitely not healthy. He was a tad bit anxious about how much self-control Cid possessed, especially after being attacked by the neighbour's dog.

"Tifa, Tifa! You look _beautiful_!" Marlene squealed flatteringly as Tifa and Cloud went downstairs to the laden table. Everybody else was assembled down there already, all dressed in fancy attire.

A red hue appeared on Tifa's cheeks as she beamed, "Thank you, Marlene. You're looking very pretty yourself."

Marlene blithely twirled around in her satin party dress, reminding Cloud of what Tifa had done earlier.

After they took some group photos (Cid grimacing stiffly more than smiling) they took their seats at the table, where all of Tifa's and Shera's wonderfully crafted recipes were laid out in a glory of banquets. Yuffie said a rather prolonged and flowery grace that almost lulled Red XIII to sleep, made everyone's necks ache, sent Cid's eye twitching, and frayed Cloud's already fragile nerves.

"Um," Tifa said uncertainly when it was finally over, glancing around the table, "...I hope everyone enjoys it."

"It looks wonderful, Tifa," Cait Sith commented and they all nodded, picking up their knives and forks.

Cloud's eyes scanned the room as they commenced eating. A smug Yuffie was sitting, posture perfect and expression serene, acting exactly as a young lady should be expected to.

In, perhaps, the Medieval Ages.

"...basically, the socioeconomic status must be reviewed in due time if Godo wants to rebuild Wutai back to its strong structure..."

A slightly phased Vincent and Barret were listening to her as she spoke sophisticatedly, trying her best to cut her turkey neatly. Vincent caught Cloud's faintly stupefied look and gave a tiny shrug. Across the table, he saw Cid shoot Yuffie a malevolent sort of look and knew that her act of superiority was only adding to his frustration.

If things continued this way, Cid would probably combust.

Cloud swallowed anxiously as the others spoke frankly to one another; everyone had behaved very nicely since their deal, but something in his perfect plan had gone askew. He hadn't meant for Yuffie to become a middle-aged politician, nor had he expected Cid to be so moody and sullen in such a discreet and _silent_ way. It was unnerving and nobody else knew how to act around them, least of all Tifa who had no clue what was going on.

A slurp instantly made Cloud look up as well as others. Yuffie still hadn't broken the habit of slurping her soup. The children giggled, oblivious to the tense atmosphere around them. Tifa looked slightly relieved, while Cid's head snapped toward the offending girl and his eyes narrowed.

Everybody but Tifa noticed this dangerous sight and Barret quickly spoke up.

"This tastes great, Teef," he said heartily, lifting his forkful of stir-fry vegetable noodle. They all nodded eagerly.

"You can thank Cid for the recipe," Tifa glanced over at the blonde pilot and beamed, "He concocted it himself."

Barret's eyebrows raised, "You cook too?"

Cid stuffed in another mouthful of chick peas, grunting in reply without looking up. Tifa's smile faltered and the others exchanged worried looks, except for Yuffie who continued talking airily. Shera hastened to start a conversation with Tifa, much to Cloud's relief, which seemed to break a bit of the ice.

_If this is how they act when I tell them to behave then I'm probably better off having them normal_, Cloud thought blightlessly, lifting his fork to his mouth. So much for a peaceful Christmas evening.

An extra loud slurp made Cid's eye twitch.

"...so it's goodbye to resort, good-for-nothing Wutai, and hello to powerful - "

_Thump, thump!_

Yuffie was cut off suddenly and she looked rather affronted, "Who dares interrupt me?" she demanded.

"Why don't I go check?" Cloud volunteered, stopping himself just in time from adding "your highness" to the end of his sentence. Keen to make his escape, he quickly left the room and went to front door of the house. Cloud turned the knob, pulled the door toward him and yelped when a figure crashed into his arms.

"What the - ?"

The person jolted upright sheepishly as Cloud pushed them back, "Err - hey Cloud, yo!"

A flabbergasted Cloud stared at the forms of Reno and Rude in his doorway, "Err - hey." He scratched the back of his head incomprehensibly, "What - what are you guys doing here?"

Reno's eyes widened in shock, "WHAT a question to ask, Cloud, my buddy! We just swung by to wish you a Happy Christmas, y'know, seein' as we're so - we're so - do I smell liquor on you?"

"...No."

The redhead was evidently in some kind of tipsy stupor as he peered behind Cloud, wobbling dangerously, "Oooh... nice warm place you got here, huh?"

Cloud was still too bewildered to stop Reno from stumbling inside and turned instead to the other Turk.

"He's a bit tipsy," Rude supplied unnecessarily, himself upright and professional as always, "Your bar's not open, so we just came around to see if anyone was in here."

"Oh, yeah," the spiky blonde turned back from seeing Reno gawking at their tree, "It's been closed for the last few weeks for Christmas..." he realised something and raised an eyebrow, "You guys are still looking for a bar when he's already been drinking?"

A faint smile flickered across Rude's face, "Well - we left our party after he was slapped by Elena," here he lowered his voice confidentially, "He's being brave now, but he's pretty upset. Wants to drink all his pain away."

"He got slapped by Elena?" Cloud repeated incredulously, "What did he do?"

"Made a move on her under the mistletoe."

"...Oh."

They both stood there in an awkward silence, broken by Reno yelling, "Hey, Rude, what's taking so long - whoa!" he almost tripped over a teddy bear, "...I'm good!"

"Uh... listen, can I use your bathroom?" Rude asked hastily, his face sweaty. A small frown creased Cloud's brow at the strange question, but he nodded, "It's upstairs on the right."

"Thanks... just - just let Reno join you guys for a bit, okay? He needs some lovin'."

"What?" Cloud gasped, eyes wide as Rude hurried up the stairs. He exhaled a long sigh, reluctantly turning to the redhead, "So..."

"Hey, Cloud, you have a mole on your face."

"_What_?"

Reno doubled over in hysterical laughter, "Hahaha, just kiddin', Choco-head. Hehe, you're fun to tease, we should hang out more often!"

"Oh no we won't," Cloud said quickly, grabbing his arm and steering him to the dining room, "Just get in here, Reno. We're eating dinner."

Everybody look up as they came in. Reno took it into his own hands to announce his entrance, "Sup, everyone! I got kicked out of my party, yo, so I came to join you." He flashed his pearly whites at them, making the children grin and cheer, "Yay, it's the godfather!" The first time they'd met Reno he had them convinced that he was the 'godfather', and Rude, Elena, Tseng and Rufus were his mafia.

"You didn't get kicked out, you got slapped by Elena," a nonplussed Cloud said in perplexity.

Reno immediately scowled, "Just 'cos she wished it was wonderful, _darling_ Tseng under that stupid mistletoe..."

Silence met his bitter words and they all glanced at each other hesitantly before looking intently at Cloud. Then Barret asked irritably, "Look, can you stop the kids from callin' you the godfather? It's creepy."

"No-can-do, it's their nickname for me."

Tifa stood up from her spot, seemingly making the best of the situation, "I'll go get a place set up for you, Reno..."

"And get one for Rude, too!" Reno called jauntily. He plopped himself between Shera and Cid, grinning charmingly around the table, "So... good Christmas, everyone?" Cid's eye twitching increased tenfold at the redhead's close proximity.

"I'm headin' to the john," Barret announced, standing up.

"You can't, Rude's already in there."

Barret looked at Cloud fretfully and then sat back down, heaving a sigh.

"Hey, Reno, I've been meaning to ask," Yuffie inquired pertly from across the table, diverting all attention to her, "Do you think the W.R.O would accede granting a modest quota of its current revenue to the new regime Wutai has taken up?"

Reno stared blankly at her. He was not the only one.

"...what did she say?" Vincent murmured to Red XIII.

"Hey, I remember you!" Reno squinted at Yuffie without the slightest intention of answering her question, "You're that little Wutain ninja. Heh, not so little now, are you? You've grown up, pretty nicely, too..." A sly grin unfurled across his face and her expression changed at lightning speed. All regard for etiquette crumbling, Yuffie jabbed her spoon in his direction.

"Don't even think about it, jerk!"

"Reno," Cloud warned as she slurped her soup furiously, "Elena, remember?"

"Given up on her," the Turk muttered unhappily, putting either hand on Shera's and Cid's chairs to lean back on his own, "There's plenty of fish out in the sea for Reno!"

Barret let out a snort of laughter and Cloud put his hands to his face.

"No wonder your partner always wears shades," muttered Vincent, Reno either ignoring his comment or not hearing it at all.

Marlene and Denzel were giggling at Reno, Red XIII and Cait Sith looking as though they were about to cave in at any moment. The good stuff of the dinner was already gone, leaving unsatisfying salads and boiled vegetables. They'd stopped eating to watch their new entertainment. Even Yuffie had stopped speaking and was eating her soup. Cid, on the other hand, was vehemently chewing on some carrots, growing steadily crimson.

"_Whoa_, you're pretty hot, too." Reno let his chair legs fall back onto the ground as he ogled at an embarrassed Shera, "Never seen you 'round before. What's your name, dollface?"

"Umm..."

But apparently Cid had had enough.

Boiling a furious scarlet, he grabbed Reno's collar and spat (carrot bits flying everywhere), "That's my wife, you moron, and if I have to kick you in the arse to make it stick in your head then get down on all fours already!" Then he turned murderously to Yuffie, "And stop slurping that friggin' soup!"

"Hey, I'll slurp my soup any way, any time."

"You do that and I'll shove that spoon where the sun don't shine!" he growled, having the decency to wipe his mouth before rising to his feet.

"Cid!" Shera exclaimed fretfully.

"Oh, yeah?" a smirking Yuffie started lapping her soup at an alarming speed and in an especially loud way. Cid's temple was throbbing now and fireballs seemed to shoot out of his flashing eyes. Cait Sith smartly took cover.

"Dang!" Barret pounded the table in frustration, making them all jump, "How long does a man need to take in the bathroom?"

"Geez, you scared the heck outta me!"

"Don't start pickin' fights with Barret, lady, you've still got me to answer to!"

"What, can't stand this?" Yuffie threw the spoon away, lifted the bowl to her lips and drank like a tap gurgling. Red XIII looked faintly ill and Barret roared, "D'ya mind, Yuffie? I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET!"

"Please... don't yell," Cloud said weakly as the strain in the room finally snapped.

"Whoa, tough crowd," Reno remarked serenely to himself. Tifa set down a plate and a glass in front of him and he grinned lazily at her, "Thanks, Tifa. Mind joinin' me for a drink later?"

"Reno!" growled Cloud, unexplainably vindictive.

Perhaps it was rubbing off on him.

Or he could be jealous.

...No, it was definitely just rubbing off on him.

But Tifa was most certainly not joining Reno in a drink later. Not if Cloud could help it.

Tifa was looking aghast, "What's going on here?" She gaped from Cid, who was trying to strangle Yuffie, to Vincent and Shera, who were trying to pry them apart, to Barret, looking thoroughly bad-tempered, to Red XIII and Cait Sith, aiding Vincent and Shera, to the children, flicking their peas at one another in all the commotion.

"Hey, Tifa, got any booze to drink my sorrows away?"

"What - here," she dragged the bowl of fruit punch in front of Reno, "Drink this."

He looked at it apprehensively, then shrugged in a carefree way, "Meh. Good enough."

"Can't catch me, you can't catch me," sang Yuffie tauntingly on the other side of the room, poking her tongue out at Cid.

"Why, you little - "

Plates were upturned and glasses knocked over as Cid attempted to lunge over the table. Shera gave a muffled scream and Yuffie's smirk disappeared as she ducked, "Aiiiii! What are you doing, you crazy man?"

"Oi, I'm trying to fill my glass here," Reno said snappishly as some of his punch spilt over, "Stop shaking the table!"

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

"Cid - _Cid_!" Tifa called helplessly as he and Yuffie zoomed into the living room, knocking things over and crashing into walls. Tifa and Shera glanced exasperatedly at one another before following them, "You two, calm down!"

"That's it, if that Turk doesn't bust his arse outta that toilet in the next five seconds, _I'm_ gonna bust the _door_ down," Barret vowed ominously back at the table, jittering in his seat.

"Just go in the bushes," Vincent suggested in a surprisingly calm way.

Barret stared at him, "In this weather? What are ya, kiddin' man? I'd rather wait."

"You'll be waitin' for awhile, my man," Reno said genially, pouring himself another glass of punch, "Rude's got stomach problems."

Barret's face darkened, "..._What_?"

"You know - _diarrhoea_," the redhead said slowly as if talking to a thick person.

"I KNEW WHAT YOU MEANT!"

Cloud sat miserably in his seat, vaguely aware of how his Christmas was turning out. He looked hopelessly to the end of the table and saw Marlene and Denzel staring back at him innocently, covered in their dinner.

"You guys don't want to eat anymore, do you?" he said heavily. They shook their heads, grinning, and with a sigh Cloud went to the kitchen, beckoning for them to follow. He pulled down a plate and piled it with cookies and two cupcakes, "Take these down to the playroom and stay there, okay?"

They beamed at him, "Thanks, Cloud!"

With the children out of harm's way, Cloud reluctantly went back to the near-empty table to find Reno making extravagant toasts by himself. Vincent was gone and Barret had his head slumped on the table. Red XIII and Cait Sith were also missing.

"To world peace, to future Christmases, to Tseng's head rolling on the ground! Heh... kidding... kinda."

With a spiteful, unsteady laugh, Reno threw the drink into his mouth and fell backward off his chair. "Owww."

_Oh, man..._ Shaking his head, Cloud took a step over to the other man in need, "Barret? ...Hey Barret, are you okay?"

His body shifted.

"Don't - talk - to - me."

"He said that to me, too," Reno said mournfully from the floor when Cloud's gaze ran over him. Sighing, Cloud made his way to the living room and yelped when he trod on something furry and hard in the doorway.

"AHH! Cait Sith, that's the second time!"

"Sorry, Cloud, just watching the scene."

Irritated and mystified at the toy cat's reply, Cloud swung around to see Yuffie perched on top of their bookshelf. At the bottom Tifa was pleading for the girl to come down.

"Yuffie, please, come down from there!"

"Sorry, Teef, not until that _monster_ gets rid of his claws," Yuffie replied haughtily, shooting a look to something in the corner. It was Cid and Shera, talking quietly to each other. Shera had a very serious, "no-nonsense" look on her face and Cloud was relieved to see Cid more relaxed and calm than he had been mere minutes ago. Perhaps Shera had mellowed him out. A little grudgingly, Cid stood up and joined Tifa at the bottom of the shelf. Yuffie curled up warily.

"I ain't gonna skin you alive, if that's what you're fussed about. Now get your arse down here!" Cid barked.

"I don't trust you," she yelled back fearfully.

"If you don't get down from there that shelf is gonna collapse!"

"Are you calling me fat?" the girl demanded heatedly from her safe vantage spot. There were a few bangs and they all whipped around when they heard tragic singing; Reno was lumbering into the living room with one glass of fruit punch in his hand.

"Elena... why...?"

Ignoring him, they focused back on Yuffie, still adamantly rooted on the bookshelf, her head skimming the ceiling, "I'm not coming down, I'm not coming down," she sung in an annoying tune.

"Yuffie, please. Come down to the ground," came a new voice, a low, calm, tranquil one. All other noise ceased at once, leaving only Reno's murmuring in the background. Vincent had appeared out of nowhere and he took a step toward the shelf, looking up at the stubborn girl solemnly, "It's dangerous."

"Why should I, Vinnie? I could get slain," she protested, though more innocent than defiant.

"Because," Vincent fixed his scarlet eyes on her, "You owe me."

Cloud held his breath as Vincent spoke; the ex-Turk's deep voice always cast an unspeakable hush over them, as if they were inside a church. It seemed irreverent to speak or even not be attentive to what he was saying.

Finally, after a long pause, Yuffie shifted from her spot and gingerly climbed down the shelf. Tifa let out a deep breath and Shera cracked a relieved smile. Cid, on the other hand, picked up a cushion and whacked Yuffie across the head.

"Ow!" she cried, rubbing her head, "What was that for?"

"For keeping us waiting, for slurping your dang soup, for throwing a saucepan at me, for acting like an uptight little princess - don't ever do that again!" Cid listed off threateningly, his blue eyes glinting. He turned to the side and every feature of his face seemed to sag with exhaustion as he sighed, "Geez, it's gonna take one good cup of tea to fix me up now."

"What are we gonna do about _him_?" Yuffie asked curiously, jerking her head toward Reno as he crooned pathetically.

Cloud shook his head vigorously, taking control of the situation, "You don't need to worry about that - and _no_ tea at this moment!" he added to Cid, "You two start clearing up the table and washing the dishes. _Go_!" He pointed toward the kitchen sternly and the two shuffled off, mumbling ominously about "housework" and "slave labour."

"Vincent, can you help them?" Cloud appealed to the dark-haired man, who nodded and went in after them, "And Shera, you can - you can just rest, if you like."

"FOOD FIGHT!"

Shera smiled a bit wanly, "I'll go look after them."

After she had left to join Yuffie and the others, the attention came back to Reno. Tifa came up beside Cloud, "Yuffie's right; what _should_ be done with him?"

They looked at the defeated man. He was sprawled on some beanbags, mumbling softly to himself, " 'Lena... you stupid little girl... rookie... pathetic newbie..."

Tifa bit her lip, "Makes you feel kinda sorry for him, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he's just _lonely_," Cloud mumbled, much to her amusement, "Hey, Reno, get up." The doorbell rang and Tifa went to answer it. Cloud prodded Reno with his foot, "C'mon, Reno, show some backbone. You said you were over Elena, right?"

"Right," he sprung to his feet suddenly, startling Cloud. His sharp aqua blue eyes shone with renewed vigor, "I'm over that 'lil rookie! To bullocks with her! I'm gonna live a new life without - "

"Reno!"

The redhead lowered his glass and whitened, "...Laney?"

Elena rushed toward him, looking harassed and exasperated. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold and she had a beanie pulled over her blonde hair. Behind her, a meek and confused-looking Tifa shut the front door.

"Do you have _any_ idea how long I've been looking for you and Rude?" Elena cried up at him, "Why don't you answer your phone?"

"You've been looking for me?" Reno looked stunned.

"_Yes_!" she exploded, "You guys just took off like that, what was I supposed to do, just leave you alone?"

"Why not?" Reno reverted back to his haughtiness, shrugging his shoulders, "You don't care about me, 'Lena. I bet you just came 'round here 'cos honey-bunny Tseng asked you to - "

"_Don't call him that_!" Elena screeched, looking ready to slap him again. Cloud flinched, but Reno was admirably unconcerned.

"It's true, ain't it, Laney?" he taunted her, seemingly enjoying the way she was going steadily red, "Just admit it. This isn't about me or Rude, it's about yourself and darling Tseng. Well, I toast you two!" Sounding bitter and spiteful, Reno drained the rest of his glass and proceeded to pass out. Elena shrieked as he collapsed onto her.

"How much has he had to drink here?" she fretted as Tifa and Cloud rushed over to revive him.

"Nothing! It's only fruit punch."

---

"You really came for us?" Reno asked in a subdued voice, studying her intently.

It was getting late; the group had finished cleaning up the kitchen and Tifa had gone upstairs to tuck the children into bed. Rude had _finally_ relinquished the bathroom, emerging as a much happier man, while Barret almost cried as he barreled up the stairs and crashed into his new domain. The three Turks were still sitting in the quiet living room, the tantrums and chaos that had taken place earlier still echoing slightly in Cloud's ears.

"_Yes_," Elena said scathingly, "But you can choose to believe I did it under Tseng's orders."

There was a brief silence before Reno smiled at her sheepishly, "...Sorry about all that stuff with 'honey-bunny Tseng', then."

"You should be," she said stiffly. Reno glanced at Rude who shrugged unhelpfully.

Elena uncrossed her arms and sighed, looking at them piteously, "I mean, after all we've been through together, you guys still don't think I care about you."

"We know you care, Laney," Rude assured her.

"And we care about you," Reno said in a voice that was much softer than usual. Elena looked at him warily and he gently squeezed her hand, "Why else d'you think I ran out of the party after you slapped me? I wouldn't bat an eyelash if it was somebody else."

Aware of the little intimate moment the two were having, Rude turned away respectfully and an embarrassed Cloud retreated to the kitchen.

Elena chuckled slightly, "Yeah... I'm sorry about that." She leant forward and grazed her lips over his cheek in an apologetic manner. It was a brief but sweet kiss. "Hope it didn't hurt too much." Reno found himself staring wildly at her as she stood up, her hand still enclosed in his.

"C'mon, let's go back. Tseng and Rufus are pretty worried, too."

Reno nodded slowly as he got to his feet, looking thoughtful. And then slyly, he had bent down and kissed her softly on her lips before pulling away, grinning flippantly. Rude hid a smile as Elena blushed.

"You owed me," was Reno's amiable rejoinder at her shocked look. Before she had the chance to reprimand him, he was bouncing along jovially, tugging her hand, "Off we go. Hey, Cloud, thanks for your hospitality! Merry Christmas!"

"Say thank you to Tifa for me, Cloud. Reno - wait!"

"Oh... bye."

Somewhat relieved, Cloud closed the door as the three of them finally left, Elena lightly hitting Reno on the shoulder but still holding firmly onto his hand as she did so. He smiled waspishly to himself as he faced the empty, still room. Then he heaved a sigh that seemed to exhale forth from the very tips of his toes. It was finally over.

Cloud ambled over to the staircase, pausing at the bottom when he saw Tifa descending. She stopped at the third last step and sat down on it, leaning her head against the railing and closing her eyes in exhaustion.

He had to smile. Even with everything that had unfolded that night, she still looked as pretty as ever in her black dress.

"Have they left?" she asked quietly, her eyes fluttering open.

Cloud nodded, "Yeah. Elena said thanks." There was a brief pause, and he asked, "The kids asleep?"

Tifa also nodded and they fell into a nice, harmonious lull. Cloud supposed they were both grateful for this moment of peace, when the house was still and silent. It made _them_ feel in control of their hectic lives.

"I know I was looking forward to Christmas," Tifa spoke up, looking a little amused at herself, "But I'm kinda glad it's over now."

Cloud smiled impishly, "I know how you feel." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "You did a great job, Tifa. The meal was delicious."

She smiled gratefully at him. "We're definitely having a family-only Christmas next year," she said meditatively, shutting her eyes again. With one hand she reached up to hold onto his and she laid her head against it.

Cloud looked at her tenderly, shifting his hand slightly so that he could stroke her soft hair. As he did so, his other hand somehow found its way into his pocket to absently brush over the velvet box still in there. His heart skipped a beat when he realised what it was.

"Tifa..." She lifted her head as he regretfully removed her hand from her shoulder. A little bashfully, Cloud scratched the back of his head and didn't meet her eyes, "...There's something I was supposed to give you earlier today."

A sweet smile flit across Tifa's face as she watched him nervously take out a maroon box covered in velvet. Then her eyes widened in surprise and she glanced up at him, unsure of what laid inside. He chuckled feebly as he opened it in front of her, "Merry Christmas, Tifa."

It was a simple, delicate golden chain, twisted together wonderfully and craftily, looping through a heart-shaped locket. There were little ruby and diamond stones embedded in the gold heart, and another golden frame of the shape inside the larger one. Cloud nervously scratched his head again, watching her as she gazed at it reverently. The locket was simple, but so beautiful, and not cluttered with complicated designs or many jewels. That was what he'd like about it. It seemed perfect for Tifa.

And so it was. The brunette lifted her gaze up to him, her mouth slightly parted in awe and reverence. Cloud half-smiled, "I - I hope you like it. Here, let me put it on."

He took the necklace from the box and stooped to put his arms around Tifa's neck, aware of how close they were. His skin flushed horribly and he had to tell his hands to stop shaking as he fiddled with the chain, trying to connect them. Finally, the task was done and he leant back to look at her, half-wondering why she hadn't said anything.

Tifa was looking at him with her ruby-brown eyes, glistening with what seemed like a thousand emotions at once. She couldn't believe he'd gone and bought her something as beautiful as this and the very fact that he had struck her speechless. With strong affection exploding like stars inside of her, she was pleasantly and magnificently reminded why she loved the blonde warrior so much. She couldn't say anything; she was too overwhelmed by her own feelings and the close presence of his warm body, his bright blue eyes and familiar face.

Cloud didn't pause to think. Her captivating, vulnerable eyes somehow banished all thoughts from his head and, before either of them knew it, his lips were on hers in a gentle, sweet, loving kiss.

When his common sense kicked in about a split second later, Cloud pulled away, his face burning. His mouth was already half-open to apologise when he caught sight of her eyes again, the very windows to her soul, and somehow he just _knew_ that he didn't have to.

Cloud cleared his throat embarrassedly, "You - you look pretty, Tifa," he managed to utter as he stared at the necklace, because _something_ had to be said.

A small smile caught Tifa's lips at his comment. Guided and directed by her feelings, she looked up into his eyes tenderly before bringing her hand up to cup the side of his face. Gently caressing his cheek, she leant up and planted a little kiss on the corner of his mouth, before moving over to leave her sweet taste on his lips again.

"Merry Christmas, Cloud," she whispered, eyes shining up toward him.

Cloud could do nothing but grin sloppily like a bit of an idiot. As he gazed at her with all the fondness of his soul, he realised there was a new journey in front of him, a journey he would take on together with Tifa. It made his heart lurch pleasantly.

"You know... I'm still kinda hungry," he admitted meekly.

Tifa also smiled whimsically, "Me, too. But _before_ we go raid the cupboards, I want you to explain this." She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him, "I found it in the kids' room."

With a sense of foreboding, Cloud unfolded it and read.

_On the condition that the nine persons involved in this contract 'behave' in the days leading to/and on Christmas day, I, Cloud Strife, hereby promise to:_

_a) buy materia for Yuffie. LOTS of it.  
__b) go to Rocket Town and help Cid on his new rocket.  
__c) take Marlene and Denzel to the Gold Saucer.  
__d) let Barret sleep in my bed until his stay at Seventh Heaven is over._

_PS. We DID behave at the dinner! It was Reno's fault, after all. If he hadn't come, we would've been little angels to the end of the day! Oh, and one more thing:_

_e) never ask the nine persons to behave EVER AGAIN. Especially Yuffie and Cid. It's hard and painful!_

His Mako-blue eyes widened fervently at the piece of paper, "I don't believe this. They _signed_ it for me, too!"

Tifa looked at him disdainfully, "Cloud. Why on earth do you owe everyone so much?"

Cloud winced as he lowered the piece of paper to confront her questioning gaze. He'd wanted to keep it a secret from Tifa, but he guessed it was inevitable... after all, he had to go to the Gold Saucer _and_ Rocket Town to please them all.

"Well..." he took a deep breath and looked at her straight in the eye, "There was so much going on in here and I could see you had enough on your plate without having to deal with extra mishaps, so... so I asked them all to behave. Anyway, we had to exchange a kind of deal - though I don't remember anything about a written contract," he frowned at the paper, then continued on forlornly, " - and this is what I 'owe' everyone." Cloud hesitated, feeling guilty all of a sudden, "I'm sorry, Teef. I guess forcing Cid and Yuffie to behave just made things a lot worse..."

Tifa looked at him very much like how she had before; she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Sometimes you're too sweet for your own good, Cloud."

He was alarmed and surprised, but her comment made a strange sense of pride and happiness rise in him. When she pulled away, she slipped her hand in his and said musically, "I smell some cookies with our names on it."

Cloud smiled broadly at her, making her heart melt, and together they went into the kitchen to spend the last few hours of Christmas solely in the company of each other. At the very top of the stairs in the shadows, Marlene and Denzel were beaming buoyantly.

"Told you they'd kiss!" whispered Denzel.

"I'm gonna be a bridesmaid!" Marlene claimed vivaciously, making him swivel his head at her, frowning. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Cloud and Tifa's wedding, silly," the little girl said smartly, sleepy all of a sudden. She yawned widely, "Mmm... Denzel... can we go back to bed?"

"Yeah," the little boy also yawned and rubbed his eyes, "Let's go..."

And as the two children clambered back into their bedroom, and Tifa and Cloud fell asleep down in the living room two hours later, one legacy stayed true throughout that year and the many years to come: Christmas was truly the most wonderful time of the year.

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A/N: Bah, it's over... it didn't really turn out how I wanted it to, but it's over AND THEY KISSED! xD Thank you reading and reviewing, a Christmas CloTi is long overdue, isn't it? Hehe. Ooh, and "Full House" is... kinda on hiatus! I'm really sorry, but I can't wait HP at the moment. The words just don't come out.

Please leave feedback! x) Preeeeeeeeetty please? _(puppy dog eyes)_ Heh, hope 'o7 brings lots of joy to you. (: - msq.


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